What's your opinion on regulating the airwaves in the United States?
It's no secret that the media in the U.S. is oftentimes alarmist, and/or one-sided. With political commentators instead of journalists, cable news outlets enjoy the ability to keep a constant flow of information that does not have to be neutral, nor does it have to be verified as factual.
We used to have a Fairness Doctrine in the United States. It required broadcasters to provide a public service in order to be allowed to operate. That's how the 6 o'clock news became so ubiquitous. It also prevented television and radio providers from broadcasting news that was false or misleading. That's the part that the pundits at Fox News would probably have the most trouble with.
Beyond those issues, the Fairness Doctrine also limited how much of the airwaves a single company could own. What we have now allows a handful of companies to completely dominate a market. Such is the case with Talk Radio. Something like 90% of talk radio is right-wing content, and nearly all of those content providers are owned by only a few companies.
The reason all of this is important is because the press is key in the way our politics works. If the press is lying, or existing primarily as an outlet to a particular ideology, the public will misinformed. An ignorant public elects ignorant politicians, who have to essentially serve the dysfunctional press in order to get reelected.
That's why people call the media the 4th branch of the government. I would argue that the media controls the outcome of elections more than the other way around though. Large companies are able to influence public opinion and elections, allowing them to ultimately write their own rules.
So...are you for the Fairness Doctrine?